Drinks discounting introduced earlier this year has helped slow the decline in like-for-like sales at Revolution, the vodka bar chain owned by Inventive Leisure, the company said today.

In March, Inventive said the drinks price war at high-street bars and pubs was having a severe effect on the group.

As a result, it said it would review pricing, especially during the mid-week period.

The discounts now introduced have helped slow the decline in like-for-like sales to 8% during the 12 weeks to the end of June, from a 14% decline beforehand.

And without the effect of Euro 2004, which hit sales at Revolution because it does not concentrate on televised sport, the decline would have been only 6.4%.

The group opened one new Revolution, in Newport, during the first six months of 2004.

But it has dropped plans for openings in York and Shoreditch, east London, and has failed to gain a licence for another new site in Nottingham.

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